The Community Ownership Support Service Team

Linda Gillespie

Head of Community Ownership

linda@dtascot.org.uk

Phone number: 07579 008467

Following an early career in the private sector during which she was responsible for multiple retail sites in areas across the UK, latterly managing large scale visitor centres, Linda moved into local economic development. Initially as business adviser to a portfolio of high growth companies before moving on to manage a range of business and social enterprise programmes.

Over the years Linda has worked with 100s of community led organisations and social enterprises and has seen at first hand the positive benefits ownership of assets can bring to communities; improving the sustainability of their organisations, protecting and developing services and creating jobs. Within her current role at COSS she has a particular interest in exploring the underlying enterprise models and innovative options for sustaining community assets into the future.

Fiona Taylor

COSS Advisor

Stirling, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, Glasgow City, Argyll and Bute, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde

fiona@dtascot.org.uk

T: 0131 225 2080  | M: 07946 024029

Working Days: Monday to Friday

Elspeth Mathieson

Legal Advisor

Based in Edinburgh office

elspeth@dtascot.org.uk

Phone Number: 07857 625 716

Usual working days Monday, Tuesday (morning only), Wednesday

Elspeth is the legal adviser for COSS, and provides legal assistance and advice to community groups seeking the transfer land and buildings into community ownership or management. She has many years of experience as a solicitor, working mainly in property. With her background of working in the private sector Elspeth brings a different perspective to the challenges faced by community bodies. Elspeth also facilitates the Scottish University Land Unit (SULU); a collaboration between COSS and Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow Universities that gives students with an interest in land reform the opportunity, in conjunction with COSS, to provide practical support to community groups looking to exercise these rights.